The present invention relates to compositions and methods for alleviating symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health, summarizes that PMS is a group of symptoms linked to the menstrual cycle. PMS symptoms occur in the week or two weeks prior to menstruation. PMS may be just a monthly bother, or it may be so severe that it makes it hard to even get through the day. Up to 80% of women experience some symptoms of PMS. The causes of PMS are not clear, and are linked to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle. Stress and emotional problems do not seem to cause PMS.
The inclusion of PMDD in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, due for release in 2013) is indicative of the dynamic and controversial attitude toward PMDD as a full-fledged disorder within the scientific community. PMDD was previously considered to be synonymous with PMS. The scientific community later differentiated PMDD as a subset of symptoms associated with PMS, and more recently as a specific type of occurrence of PMS. However, PMDD is not viewed as a unique disorder globally, particularly in Europe.
In a scientific article by Epperson et al. (Am J Psychiatry, 2012 May; 169(5):465-75) entitled, “Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: Evidence for a New Category for DSM-5,” the abstract states, “Based on thorough review and lengthy discussion, the work group proposed that the information on the diagnosis, treatment, and validation of the disorder has matured sufficiently for it to qualify as a full category in DSM-5.”
This clearly suggests a shift has occurred in the state-of-the-art understanding of PMDD vis-à-vis PMS. That is, while PMDD was once considered to be synonymous with PMS, it later came to be commonly understood as an offshoot of PMS, exhibiting a similar rubric of symptoms associated with menstruation. The inclusion of PMDD in the DSM-5 further validates the recognition of such a “subset” disorder as PMDD as a stand-alone mental disorder.
It would be desirable to have compositions and methods for alleviating symptoms associated with PMS and PMDD.